点评:Every now and again, on your travels, you come across a hidden gem. Tonbridge Castle is one such example. As with a lot of other English castles - blame Cromwell and many others - much of it is in ruins. But what is still standing, is probably one of the best examples of a gatehouse in England. A ‘gatehouse keep’ to be precise.
This gatehouse has all the state of the art 13th Century defences: two drum towers with spurs, archery slots, and numerous murder holes. There are also grooves that would have contained a portcullis of sorts. Inside the gatehouse is a spacious hall, private chambers, and a supply store.
On my visit, I also climbed the stairs to the top - with my trusty stick - here there were excellent views of the motte and bailey, the river, and town.
If you are in the area, then this piece of the past is well worth a visit. In your entrance fee, comes a very helpful audio guide for your journey through the castle. The whole experience took close to 90 minutes, so plenty of time to buy the fridge magnet and visit other sites on your itinerary in the area!
翻译:旅行途中,你总会时不时地邂逅一处隐秘的瑰宝。汤布里奇城堡便是其中之一。如同许多其他英国城堡一样——这要归咎于克伦威尔等人——它的大部分已成废墟。但现存的部分,或许是英格兰保存最完好的门楼之一,更准确地说,是一座“门楼主塔”。
这座门楼拥有所有13世纪最先进的防御设施:两座带支柱的鼓形塔楼、射箭孔和众多的投石孔。此外,还有一些凹槽,原本可能用于安装某种形式的吊闸。门楼内部设有一个宽敞的大厅、私人房间和一个物资仓库。
参观时,我拄着我的拐杖,爬上了顶部的台阶——在那里,我可以饱览城堡土墩、内堡、河流和城镇的壮丽景色。
如果你身处附近,那么这座历史遗迹绝对值得一游。门票包含一份非常有用的语音导览,可以帮助你更好地游览城堡。整个体验过程大约需要 90 分钟,所以您有足够的时间购买冰箱贴并参观行程中该地区的其他景点!